


The Recusants

by lawyerdonut



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Axel Is Lea (Kingdom Hearts), Canon-Typical Violence, Castle Oblivion (Kingdom Hearts), Emotional Manipulation, Gen, Hollow Bastion | Radiant Garden, Keyblades (Kingdom Hearts), Kidnapping, Mild Angst, Organization XIII (Kingdom Hearts), Prison, Prisoners, Real Organization XIII (Kingdom Hearts), Recusant's Sigil, Time warp, Yikes, time loops, traitors, yeah xigbar gets kinda gross
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2020-03-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:06:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 6,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22042279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lawyerdonut/pseuds/lawyerdonut
Summary: It’s been six months since Roxas left the Organization. Since then, he’s created the Recusants- a group of Nobodies and Somebodies fed up with the Organization’s tactics. So far, it’s been a success. Axel’s here, too.[No Longer Postponed!]
Comments: 1
Kudos: 14





	1. A Few Grains Of Sand

**Author's Note:**

> Just a couple of notes about the canon divergence. Sora and Roxas exist separately, Lea goes by Axel and isn't a Keyblade wielder yet, and the "real Organization XIII" has yet to be formed.

It’s been six months since Roxas left the Organization. Since then, he’s created the Recusants- a group of Nobodies and Somebodies fed up with the Organization’s tactics. So far, it’s been a success. Axel’s here, too. They have a couple hundred lesser Nobodies, too, Dusks and Assassins that got wind of the Recusants via whispers in the Corridors.

Word may be spreading a little too fast, though. Axel ran into Roxas’s room with news.

“There’s someone in a coat in the town square. Just standing there, but kinda suspicious if you ask me.” The suspicion was understandable- the Recusants didn’t use Corridors for travel, so the coats were abandoned except when needed for espionage.

“Right. Anyone over there to check it out?” Roxas grabbed his keyblades from beside his desk. 

“Of course not. Wanted us to have first dibs.” Axel summoned his chakrams and ushered Roxas out the door. The pair of them raced down the hallway, blood pumping with excitement.

“Who do you think it is?” They opened the door to the street.

“Someone from the Organization.”

“Yeah, but who?” They turned through the marketplace, giving a small hello to the triplets.

“I dunno. Looked a little scrawny if you ask me.” Axel rounded the final corner first and hollered at the figure. “Hey! You! Who are you?”

“About time you two showed up.” The figure slowly approached Roxas. Axel’s grip on his weapons tightened. “Xemnas has been looking for you, tiger. Says if you two drop this whole charade, he’ll stop pursuing you, no questions asked.”

“Shut up, Xigbar. We all know that’s a lie,” Axel spoke through gritted teeth.

“Oh, so you finally got the guts to stand up for yourself?” Xigbar removed his hood and smiled. An awful, evil smile like a rabid dog, but a smile nonetheless. “You know, I remember when Axel could be trusted to dispose of traitors. Who would’ve thought he’d become one himself?” The man backed up just a few feet.

Dispose of traitors? That couldn’t mean...

“What do you mean, dispose of traitors?” Roxas’s knuckles were white from gripping the keyblades so tight.

“Oh, don’t tell me he didn’t tell you?” He threw his head back in laughter. “This is too good. Flamesilocks here killed Vexen over at Castle Oblivion.”

“Axel? What is he talking about?” Roxas scanned Axel’s face, but he only saw anger toward Xigbar.

“You don’t have any idea of what happened at the Castle! You were too busy licking Xemnas’s boots!” Axel was shaking. Roxas shook his head. There was no way Axel  _ murdered _ Vexen.

“Axel. Is that true?”

“You bet it is! Nearly killed Marluxia, too. Isn’t it interesting to hear the secrets people keep from us?” Xigbar’s tone was dripping with mockery. Axel kept his eyes focused on him but spoke to Roxas out of the side of his mouth.

“It’s not important. We need to take care of him first,” His voice dropped in volume. “Go up to the lab where Dilan and Aeleus are. Bring them down here. I’ll keep him busy.” Axel fired up his chakrams, and Xigbar summoned his arrowguns. Roxas didn’t move. “Roxas. Go!”

“Axel, I-”

“I’ll explain it later. Go before he hurts you!”

Roxas took off running, slamming open the gate up to Ansem the Wise’s lab. His head was anything but focused. Why should he trust Xigbar’s word? He’s lied before, so he’s just trying to drive the two of them apart. 

Roxas seemed happy with this resolution, but the thought settled at the back of his mind like a few grains of sand in a delicate clock. As long as the gears weren’t turning, the sand wouldn’t harm...


	2. Delicate Machinery

“Ienzo? Are you here?” Roxas flung open the door and frantically searched for the men. Who knew how long Axel could last out there against Xigbar? A small, quiet voice echoed through the halls. Roxas ran toward it.

“Roxas? Is that you?” He burst through the door to the computer room, panting a little bit. “Goodness sake, Roxas! You’re going to have to replace those hinges!”

“Where’s Aeleus?” He didn’t acknowledge Ienzo as he looked under the desk and in the closet, breath fast and deep.

“He’s in the next room. Might I ask why?”

“And Dilan?” 

“Are you going to just ignore what I say?”

“Where’s Dilan?”

“Upstairs. Is something wrong, Roxas?”

“Get Dilan and Aeleus to meet me in the square. And fast. Axel’s in trouble.” Roxas turned on his heels and ran out the door, barely feeling the floor underneath him. He leapt down the front steps, taking a breath of relief when he saw Xigbar still in the throes of battle. Axel didn’t seem tired, but he never did, even when he was on his last legs. Roxas slid next to him, both keyblades on full display.

“Roxas!” Axel blocked a few bullets with a chakram. Instead of ease, though, Axel’s face was painted with worry. “Where’s Aeleus? And Dilan?”

“They’re on their way-”

“Hey! Don’t expect me to stop just because you two are having a moment!” Xigbar fired a full round at them, causing Roxas and Axel to dodge in different directions.

“Axel! Go tell Dilan the plan!” Roxas assumed Axel had a plan. Probably something they should’ve gone over earlier, but he had no time to think as Xigbar was right above him, firing straight down. Roxas rolled out of the way, jumping and connecting a few hard swings on Xigbar’s head. He didn’t even stagger! What kind of Potions is this guy consuming?

Roxas stepped back, getting ready to deflect a couple more rounds, when he felt a hand around his ankle, pulling him off balance. He looked down and saw a hand stuck through a glimmering portal clamped around his foot. The hand began pulling, taking Roxas through the portal. His keyblades disappeared as his legs slid into the rift, hands clawing for purchase. Roxas looked back and saw Xigbar at one end of the square, pulling his legs through. He kicked the old man in the face, but that didn’t stop him. He was up to his chest now, almost fully within Xigbar’s hold when-

“Hey Xigbar! Check this out!” Axel cried out from the gates. Aeleus threw his tomahawk at Xigbar’s head; it made such a comical sound, Roxas couldn’t help but laugh. Xigbar fell to the ground, unconscious, and the portal around his chest vanished, bringing his torso back together with his legs. He stood and walked over to his knocked out form.

“Now what?” Roxas turned and looked at Axel and Aeleus. Axel shrugged.

“Guess we take him into the lab.”

“That’s your plan? When he wakes up he’ll just teleport out of there!”

“Unless we were to design a holding mechanism that he couldn’t teleport out of,” Aeleus stepped up to Xigbar’s body and swung it over his shoulder. “Let’s go before he wakes up.”

The three walked into the castle, with Aeleus plopping Xigbar unceremoniously onto Ienzo’s lab desk.

“Why is he here? Are you three mad?” His face wore a rare expression of anger and concern.

“Nope. I have a plan.” Axel walked over to the computer and typed something in. A large schematic appeared on the screen; it looked like a diagram for handcuffs. 

“What is that?” Roxas stepped forward to get a closer look.

“One of Ansem’s plans for power-restricting handcuffs,” Aeleus said. “You know these never made it past the prototype stage, Axel?”

“Ah, but it exists! Here’s my plan. We put these bad boys on him, keep Xigbar for information. He won’t be able to teleport away or use the corridors.” Axel pointed to Ienzo. “Where are Ansem’s prototypes?”

“Well, Dilan was looking through them today. Maybe he found these somewhere upstairs. I’ll go ask him.” Ienzo left the room.

“You two stay here. I’m going with.” Axel turned and exited, too.

That just left Roxas and Aeleus. And Xigbar’s sleeping body. Was he sleeping? Or is he dead? Wait, no, he’s breathing. Would Aeleus have killed for Roxas? Speaking of killed…

The gears in the machine started turning.

“Aeleus? Did Axel kill Vexen in Castle Oblivion?” His voice was quiet, testing the waters.

“Why do you need to know?” Aeleus was as stoic as ever.

“Nothing. Just wanted to know what happened there, I guess. Nobody’s ever told me the full story.” Aeleus grunted next to him.

“Marluxia, Larxene, and Axel were trying to overthrow Xemnas. Axel killed Vexen because he…” His facade seemed to slip, for just a moment. “He ‘said too much,’ according to Axel.”

The sand fell further into the delicate machinery.

“Axel was trying to overthrow Xemnas?” Roxas’s eyes were wide.

“I don’t believe he was. I think he was just trying to play both sides. However, nobody can ally with both sides of a war and win. Eventually he ended up with us.”

“Oh.” Axel murdered someone to get brownie points. With Marluxia, of all people. But Axel said that Sora was the one who defeated everyone at Castle Oblivion, so why would he lie? Was he lying about anything else? If he was willing to take the life of an Organization member, was he inclined to end one of the Recusants? 

Would he kill Roxas?

The gears spun, grinding the sand down into smaller and smaller pieces, scattering further into the device.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I felt like Aeleus was a little ooc in this, but that's just because he doesn't have much screen time and I'm not very familiar with him. I don't know how often I plan to update this, but I'll try to keep it at least once a week! Hope everyone is having a happy New Year!


	3. Invisible scratches

A stirring next to Roxas snapped him out of his thoughts. Xigbar was waking up.

“Nnnn… What happened?” The man slowly sat up, rubbing his eye. His gaze landed on Aeleus and his eye widened. Aeleus quickly grabbed the older man’s hands and pulled him off the table, keeping his hands held behind his back with one arm and putting Xigbar in a chokehold with the other.

“I gotta say, I forgot how strong you were, Lexaeus.” Xigbar chuckled despite his situation.

“Don’t try anything funny, Xigbar. We know your games.” Roxas summoned his keyblades.

“You don’t know anything, kiddo.” That infernal grin appeared. It was infuriating. “Gee, I hope you two weren’t in some deep conversation about a certain hothead.”

“We weren’t.” Roxas replied, a little too quickly.

“Oh, sure. I just hope you found what you were looking for,” Aeleus tightened the arm around his neck. Xigbar wasn’t phased and continued. “You know, maybe it shouldn’t have been this big guy to tell you. Axel was the one that lied to you in the first place. He should at least be honest with you. After all, you are his  _ best friend _ .” 

“Shut up!” Roxas nearly yelled. “You don’t know what you’re talking about!” He had hoped that Xigbar would retort with some stupid comment so Aeleus would shut him up by force, but instead Xigbar just smiled, as if that was the response he wanted.

“Both of you need to pipe down.” Axel opened the door and waved a pair of handcuffs around. Roxas dismissed his keyblades. “Thanks, Aeleus. Dilan, would you do the honors?” Dilan emerged from the hallway and grabbed the cuffs, giving a light nod to Aeleus to let go of Xigbar’s hands.

Xigbar didn’t fight. He allowed himself to be cuffed and escorted to a cell, all the while silently giving Roxas a look that screamed devious. Roxas watched him get locked away.

The powder-thin sand left almost invisible scratches on the cogs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! I have a lot more planned for this story...  
> I imagined Xigbar's look at the end of this chapter to be like Moriarty's look from BBC Sherlock, when Moriarty is on trial.   
> Anyway, hope you're having a great day!


	4. Tick Tock

The next day, Roxas was delivering old newspapers when he heard Axel speaking down the hallway. A low, hushed whisper, but it was recognisable as his friend. He took a detour and down the hall lined with cells, all empty except for one. 

“It’s not hard, Xigbar. Just tell me what Xemnas wants with us.”

Roxas walked up, and Xigbar glanced at him. The man didn’t seem the slightest bit uncomfortable. 

“Welcome back, kiddo. Almost missed you.” 

Axel rolled his eyes and turned to Roxas. “That is the first time he’s talked since we locked him up yesterday. Almost like he wanted to talk to you…” His voice trailed off. Roxas scratched the back of his hand and stared up at Axel, trying to work up the nerve to talk to him.

“I think we should talk. Um. In private.” He cast a sideways glance at Xigbar and swallowed hard.

“Trouble in paradise, kiddo?” Xigbar chuckled.

“You know, maybe keep the quips to a minimum? You and I both know what equipment Ansem had in here,” Axel snapped at the man and turned back to Roxas. “The meeting room should be empty. Come on.” He nudged Roxas gently and they left Xigbar behind. After they went up the stairs and around a few confusing hallways, they stepped into a room with a table and a few chairs. Axel sat first, motioning for Roxas to sit across from him. “So. Something on your mind?”

“Yeah, uh. Aeleus told me about what happened at Castle Oblivion.”

_ Tick. _

“Oh. You know, I was planning to tell you.”

_ Tock. _

“Did you actually kill Vexen?”

_ Tick _ .

“I- yes. It was to keep Sora from finding out about Namine.”

_ Tock. _

“So when were you planning to tell me that you played both sides?”

_ Tick. Tock. _

“Roxas, it was more complicated than that. I was on Vexen’s side!”

_ Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. _

“If you were on his side, why did you have to murder him?”

_ Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. _

“Even is back now! He’s not dead!”

_ Ticktockticktockticktock. _

“You didn’t know that! We didn’t find that out until you guys came back!”

_ Ticktockticktockticktock. _

“Roxas, I was trying to save us! Did you want to live under Marluxia?”

_ Ticktockticktockticktockticktockticktockticktock _

“You almost killed him, too! How quick are you to murder, Axel? How can I trust you?”

The clock burst apart, pieces flying and cracking the glass on the front.

“You must have talked to Xigbar. Well, go ahead, talk to him. But don’t come crawling back to the Recusants when he takes you back into the Organization.” Axel stood sharply and walked away.

“Axel, wait!” Roxas reached out, but Axel just stopped and held up a hand to stop him. He left Roxas alone in the meeting room.

Moonlight streamed into the inner workings of the clock, casting a lonely glow on the broken pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This work has kinda morphed into something entirely different. I have some nice plans for this one...  
> As per usual, have a great day!


	5. Broken Gears Tick Again

Roxas walked out of the meeting room, feeling worse than ever. He’d just accused his best friend of being untrustworthy. As he walked down the hallway lost in his thoughts, he realized he was in the prison block. 

_ No point in turning back… _ Roxas thought as he came up on Xigbar’s cell. To his surprise, Xigbar was looking right at him.

“Aww, something wrong, kiddo?” 

“No. I’m not talking to you.” Roxas tried to walk past, but the man continued.

“Sure seems like it. What are the Recusants going to do if their leaders are at odds?” His voice was filled with mock concern.

“Leave me alone.” His feet wouldn’t move, no matter how bad he wanted them to.

“Still got that angry look down. Look. I get it. You and Axel were bound to fight at one point or another. But, you could-”

“I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to be part of the Organization.”

“Would you let me finish? I know you don’t like me, but I have something you don’t. And you’d probably want it.”

“What?”

“I got info, Roxas. I can help you out.”

“Why would you help me?”

“Well, you could do me a favor. Win-win situation.”

Roxas thought about it for a moment. If he has information, maybe that would regain Axel’s trust. It felt terrible to be in a fight with his best friend, so perhaps...

“What do you want?”

“I want to talk to Even.” Xigbar’s normally playful smile turned dark and mischievous. Roxas looked nervously at the door to the rest of the castle, then back at Xigbar.

“If I bring you Even, you’ll tell me what I want to know?”

“Of course, kid. I’ll give you my word.” He held a hand out, sort of awkwardly since it was handcuffed to the other. Roxas hesitated, but eventually took it and shook it.

“You won’t tell Axel about this, will you?”

“What, so he could lock me in a deeper dungeon? As if!” 

“So. What do you know?”

“Hey, the deal was to bring me Even, then we’ll talk. I’m not saying a word until he’s here.” Xigbar leaned back onto the tiny cot in his cell. 

Roxas sighed and continued through the castle. Something about Xigbar seemed suspect, but Roxas didn’t mind if it helped him get Axel back to liking him.

Ienzo would probably know where Even is. Roxas knocked quietly on Ienzo’s lab door before entering.

“Hello, Roxas. Is there something I can do for you?” Ienzo was polite, as always. Roxas felt a knot in his stomach as he realized that he was about to betray all of the Recusants’s trust.

“Do you know where Even is?” He idly fiddled with his sleeve, trying to avoid eye contact.

“He’s in his study, but he doesn’t like to be bothered. Is there something I can help with instead?”

“No. I need to talk to him.”

“Roxas, you seem upset. What is this about?”

“There’s something I need to know about Castle Oblivion,” Roxas lied.

“I see. Well, try not to bother Even during his research.” Ienzo turned his back and Roxas silently slipped out the door and up the stairs to Even’s room. His room was the exact opposite of Ienzo’s- door wide open, dark, large, unwelcoming. Roxas gently knocked on the door to announce his presence.

“Who has decided to-” Even’s voice echoed as he approached the door. He looked confused when he saw Roxas. “Roxas. What are you doing here?”

“We have someone in the holding cells downstairs. They, uh, want to talk to you.”

“Well, let them know I won’t be leaving my lab for quite a while. If they wish to speak with me they’ll have to be brought up here.” Even turned around and walked back into the depths of his study. Guess that was a bust. There was no way anyone would give Roxas the keys to the cell block. Roxas headed down to Xigbar’s cell.

“Even isn’t coming out of his lab for a while.” Roxas avoided looking at the man in the cell, too beat down to bear looking at that smug smile.

“Hmm. Guess you won’t be getting that information anytime soon. Hey… nah. Nevermind.”

Roxas snapped his eyes up to meet Xigbar’s. “What?”

“I was going to suggest asking Dilan for the keys for me.”

“Why would I give you the keys? So you can go report us to Xemnas?”

“Said you wouldn’t be up for it. Anyway, you really think that low of me that I’d snitch on you the moment I get out?”

“Yeah. I do think that low of you.”

“Well, what if instead of you giving me Even, you get me those keys, huh?”

That changed things a little bit. But this was riskier. Breaking their prisoner out for information was more dangerous than bringing Even downstairs. Roxas shook his head. “I’ll have to think about it.”

“I won’t be in here forever, Roxas. Who knows how long until the Superior himself shows up to rescue me? Time’s ticking, kiddo. Tick, tock. Tick, tock!” Xigbar's words echoed in his mind.

The gears reassembled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, forgot that I had this part written. More to come. 
> 
> Να έχεις μια όμορφη μέρα!


	6. Uh Oh This Is No Bueno

Roxas ran up the stairs, ducking behind a corner as Aeleus walked past. He tiptoed past Even’s lab and took a few lefts, a couple rights, and another flight of stairs before he made it to the circuit breakers that held the keys. Roxas gently tried to pry it open, but it wasn’t budging. At the risk of making a  _ lot _ of noise, he summoned his Keyblade and tried hitting it. 

The noise was too much, because Roxas heard a voice behind him before he could stop.

“Roxas. What on earth are you doing?” Ienzo’s voice held a little bit of playfulness. He whipped around to face him, palms a little sweaty.

“Looking for the keys to the… meeting room. I left something in there.”

“Axel has all of the keys to the castle, you know. Might want to check with him before you go destroying the place.” Ienzo smiled as Roxas tried to rush past, but he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. Ienzo turned him about face and looked deep into his eyes. “Roxas. I’m worried about you. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Roxas mumbled as he nearly ran down the hallway back to the prison block. Wait. Back to the prison block? Why was he going there? Before Roxas could stop himself, he found himself in front of Xigbar’s cell.

“Back already? Figured it would’ve taken you a little bit longer.” Xigbar rose from the cot and approached the bars. “So? Let’s see ‘em.”

“I- I don’t have them.” Roxas’s eyes were blank.

“Ah, now that is more realistic.” He flopped down on the cot, closing his eye as if he was relaxed. “So why are you back?”

“I don’t know.” Roxas looked idly at his keyblade.

“Hey!” Xigbar shouted, tearing Roxas’s gaze away. “Why don’t you just use the keyblade and let me out?” His expression seemed like he just formed the thought, but Roxas knew it was more than that. Xigbar doesn’t just blurt out his ideas, he sits on them until the right time to use them, the mark of a manipulator. Still, something about Xigbar seemed, well, _trustworthy_ this time. Roxas raised his keyblade and prepared to open the cell, getting all the way to the point where he felt the power coursing through his hands.

“Wait.” He lowered it, but the man’s expression didn’t change. “What are you planning to do when I open this?”

“If I remember correctly, me telling you my plan wasn’t part of the agreement.”

“Okay. I won’t let you out then.” Roxas took a step back, ready to play his game.

“Suit yourself. Guess you won’t get to know about what Xemnas is planning.” The old man seemed to want to play, too. Fine.

“Why would I care about what he's planning?”

“Oh? Don’t you know?”

“Obviously, I don’t.” Roxas spoke through gritted teeth.

“Well, rumor has it that your old chum Demyx is back, and, oh boy, he is mad.” Demyx. One of the few Organization members Roxas didn’t mind going on a mission with. He might slack off, but he was fun to be around. Why would he be angry? Roxas tried to keep Xigbar from getting in his head.

“Why don’t you start making sense?”

“Demyx is working for us now, kid. And hey, a little birdie told me that one of your precious Recusants is next.” Xigbar stretched and yawned. “Anyway, you didn’t want to hear about it in the first place. Guess I’ll take a nap until hothead comes back.” Xigbar turned over and laid down on the pillow.

That is definitely not good. If one of their allies was under threat, they had to get to safety. Roxas thought about it for a moment. “If I let you out, you’ll tell me who it’s going to be?”

“Have I ever broken my word?” Xigbar didn’t face him.

“One more thing. You have to go back to your cell after you’re done. And you can’t hurt anyone.” Roxas’s nerves were tingling. He was really about to do this.

“Sounds good to me,” Xigbar spoke as he stood to face Roxas. “Whenever you’re ready, tiger.”

The gears slowly moved. Inch by inch, agonizing second by second, but still, in motion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woof! Now we're back in the groove, baby!  
> Have an awesome day!


	7. Opening the Door

Roxas closed his eyes and focused on his keyblade. The air around him was electric, containing so much power it was almost tangible. He breathed deep and felt power flow from his heart outward, making him recoil just a little. The electronic whirr of the cell door reached Roxas's ears and he opened his eyes.

Xigbar was directly in front of him, smile wide and devious.

"Thanks, kiddo." He gave Roxas a wink (can someone with one eye wink?) and disappeared from sight. 

The hall around him was empty.

Roxas stared blankly at his keyblade in his hand, realizing what exactly he just done. The Recusants’ most powerful informant, gone in the blink of an eye.

A flash of red appeared at the end of the hallway. Roxas’s instinct kicked in, and his feet carried him to the other end, flying through the door and down the next hall. As he ran, he tried to figure out where to go. He couldn’t go upstairs, Ienzo and Even would ask what was wrong. Downstairs was off-limits, too, since Dilan and Aeleus would be poking around in Ansem’s study. The only option left was straight out the front door. Roxas reached it, but the door was locked. Readying his keyblade, he heard a familiar voice cry out from behind.

“Roxas! Wait! Where are you going?” He felt a burst of heat on his back as the door unlocked and Roxas plowed through the door, flying down the steps to his home. 

A hundred eyes were on him as he passed through the shopping district, tears pricking at the backs of his eyes. He flung open the door to his house, locking it behind him.

Tears streamed down his face; he slumped against his front door.

Axel knew. He knew and Xigbar lied to him and now one of the Recusants was in danger and-

“Roxas. I know you’re in there.” The voice called from behind the solid wood. On any other occasion, it would be comforting, but it just served to worsen his tears. “Kid, don’t make me melt the doorknob.”

No use in trying to hide from him now. Roxas stood, wiping his nose on his sleeve, and opened the door. Axel stared at him.

“What are you doing?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He sniffled.

“Okay, if you don’t want to talk about it, we won’t. But at least let me in.” Axel’s voice was quiet, and his eyes were soft. After a little pause, Roxas moved to the side and Axel came in and sat at the dinner table, motioning for Roxas to sit across from him.

Roxas sat down, avoiding eye contact. After a few brutal moments of awkward silence, Axel spoke again.

“I wanted to apologize for what happened in the meeting room,” Roxas met Axel’s eyes and saw the sincere look behind them. It only worsened his guilt. “I just got a little heated. I should’ve told you about Castle Oblivion earlier. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. Sorry for blowing up on you.” Roxas wiped another stray tear from his face and the silence returned. Once again, Axel was the one to break it.

“Why were you talking to Xigbar, Roxas?” His tone wasn’t any more harsh than before. Roxas looked away. “You’re not in trouble, kiddo. I just want to know what he said to you, that’s all.”

“I-” The words were stuck in his throat, and he sighed. “I wanted to fix what was going on between us. I don’t like fighting with you.”

“So why Xigbar? I mean, there’s plenty of other people in the castle you could’ve gone to. Even Aeleus would have been a better confidant.” Axel chuckled slightly, trying to lighten the mood. It didn’t work.

“Well, Xigbar said that he had information about the Organization, and I thought if I got that from him, it would fix the stuff between us. So he asked for Even and I went to go get him, but he was in the middle of an experiment, and I told Xigbar, and he told me to get him the keys, so I did. And now he’s out and one of the Recusants is in danger and I’m so, so, so sorry, Axel.” Roxas broke down crying about halfway through the sentence. He felt a really warm arm wrap around his shoulders, seeing the red hair in his peripheral.

“Roxas, listen to me.” He turned to face him. “It’s okay. We’ll fix this. You made a mistake, but that’s okay. We’re  _ human _ , kiddo.” Human. Nobody ever told him that. It was always, “we don’t have hearts,” and “Nobodies shouldn’t exist.” Roxas wiped his eyes and looked up at Axel, his face comforting and warm. “What exactly did Xigbar tell you?”

“He said that Demyx is back, and, uh,” He paused to sniffle. “One of the Recusants was going to be next. I’m really sorry, Axel.”

“Hey, stop apologizing. We already did that.” Axel hit him on the shoulder, but his grin faded. “I think we need to shelter the Recusants. You cover Hollow Bastion, I’ll get the rest, okay?” Axel gave him a hard smack on the shoulder. “Come on.”

The two of them rushed back onto the streets, Roxas crossing the plaza for the second time that day. But this time he was focused. Protect the Recusants.

“Aeleus? Are you here?” Roxas stepped into the main portion of Ansem’s study. A quiet “Roxas?” reached his ears. 

“Pull the alarm, get Hollow Bastion under lockdown. No time to explain!” He quickly exited the room, running through the cell block to go warn Ienzo and Even. As he ran, he saw a flash of black against the pure white of the cells.

“What’s the rush, kiddo?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your kudos, as few as they are, mean so much to me! Thanks for reading!


	8. He's Baack!

Roxas turned on his heel and saw Xigbar. In his cell. In handcuffs. Not out, not a threat.

“What are you- how did- why?” Roxas stammered and the sharpshooter chuckled.

“Thought I wouldn’t keep my word, hmm? Ha! As if. Like I would spoil the sweet deal we had going.” Xigbar’s infamous smile returned.

“Then why would you-” Roxas was cut off by the alarm blaring in his ears, lights flashing red. Xigbar looked at the lights above him, then at Roxas, eye dark.

“This wasn’t part of the deal!” 

Xigbar never got angry, at least not like this. Normally it would be bite-your-head-off angry, but this? This was primal, like a lion that hadn’t eaten for days. His form seemed to shimmer and he vanished.

Wait. How did he? He had the handcuffs on. He shouldn’t be able to do that, right? The handcuffs-

The alarm was so loud it drowned out the sound of an arrowgun loading.

It fired, loud and sharp.

A yell.

An arm around a neck.

A gasp.

A corridor of darkness.

Cold.

Cold.

Cold, sharp footsteps.

Black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! I'm back earlier than I thought I would be, but updates will still be sporadic at best.  
> As always, thanks for reading and have a great day!


	9. Let's Do The Time Warp

_ Ouch. _

Roxas’s head was  _ killing _ him. He opened his eyes, expecting to be back in Hollow Bastion, but instead he was greeted by a familiar sight.

Plain, white walls. An uncomfortably sterile bed. Leather.

Roxas shot out of his room, racing for where he knew Xigbar was waiting. The Grey Area. As he rounded the corner, he remembered just how  _ impractical _ these coats were as he tripped and landed sprawled out on the cold glass floor.

“Yikes, that had to hurt.” Xigbar laughed and a hand grabbed his bicep and hauled him to his feet. 

Roxas remained silent, waiting to see what the man planned.

“I bet you’re wondering about your revised itinerary. Guess what, kiddo? You’re going to be the last, but definitely not least, member of the real Organization!” Xigbar flashed him a toothy grin and stepped back, eyeing Roxas carefully. “You know, you’re a lot smaller than I remember.”

“You’re worse than I remember.” Roxas summoned his keyblade.

“Ouch, that one  _ really  _ stung.” In a flash, the man in front of him was gone and there was the tip of a gun against his temple. Roxas could feel Xigbar’s breath ghost on his neck as he whispered in his ear. “I wouldn’t recommend running your mouth here.”

His breath caught in his throat. His knuckles were white against the keyblade. Roxas took a deep breath in and elbowed Xigbar in the gut. He staggered backward and Roxas swooped in and sliced him across the face a few times. Once he was sure that Xigbar was down on the ground, he turned on his heels and began running.

Roxas unzipped his coat and dropped it along the way, jumping over a railing down into the Hall of Empty Melodies. 

A bullet grazed his shoulder, impaling into the ground below. Roxas ran a little faster. Bullet after bullet rained down on him, only making him more frantic. Suddenly, he hit a railing. A dead-end balcony that hung over the pit below the castle. Roxas turned and saw the barrel of Xigbar’s arrowgun.

“Why does this seem oh-so-familiar?”

_ Ouch. _

Roxas’s head was absolutely throbbing. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, blinking out at a familiar sight.

His old room. Complete with that one souvenir he got from Agrabah. His coat was hanging on the back of his closet door.

Roxas climbed out of bed, noting that he had on his old uniform, minus the coat. He opened the door and squinted at the bright fluorescent lighting in the hall.

“Hey, kiddo. Good to see you up.” He felt a heavy clap on his shoulder.

His eyes widened and he spun around, keyblade materializing as Xigbar came into view.

Oddly enough, the man looked confused. And a little scared.

“Jeez, Roxas! Not even a hello? I knew you had a few screws loose, but this is a little far.” He calmly pushed the keyblade out of his face. “Come on, Xemnas is looking for you. You missed some meetings while you were out.”

“What are you talking about?” Roxas disregarded his own safety for a moment, utterly confused.

“Come on, don’t try to get out of this one. Let’s go,” He tried pushing Roxas, to no avail.

“Where’s Axel?” Roxas stared deep into Xigbar’s eye. A smile played on his lips.

“I thought you didn’t want to talk about Castle Oblivion.”

What game is he trying to play?

“I’m not talking about Castle Oblivion. Where are the Recusants?” His grip tightened on his keyblade.

Roxas felt the floor beneath him give way and he teleported into… a closet? Xigbar was in front of him, voice hushed and angry.

“How do you know about the Recusant’s Sigil? Where did you find that out?”

“When you kidnapped Sora in the sleeping worlds. He told me.”

“You must be completely off your rocker, tiger. Why would we kidnap Sora when we have you?”

“You don’t have me. I’m not part of the Organization.”

“Kid, yes you are! You’re number thirteen! How hard did you hit your head?”

Were the Recusants just a dream?

“When did I fall asleep?”

“After we got word of Castle Oblivion. You were out for nearly two months.”

“Is Axel really…”

“Yeah, he is. You still got poppet, though. Come on, you need to see Xemnas.”

Xigbar summoned a corridor and was about to pull Roxas through when Roxas realized something.

“Hold on. You’re lying.”

“Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me. Why would I lie to you about this?”

“You almost took me to see Xemnas without my coat on.”

The sound of an arrowgun loading filled the tiny room, followed by a sigh.

“Let’s try this one more time, huh?”

_ Ouch. _

He felt like an ice pick had just stabbed him in the temple. He reached up and massaged his temples, opening his eyes to see his room.

Where was he?

Oh, right.

The Castle.

Now the more important question,  _ when _ was he?

The door hummed open and Xigbar stepped through.

“Whoa, you weren’t supposed to be awake yet,” His voice was rough, like he hadn’t used it in a while.

“How long was I asleep?”

“What the heck, it doesn’t matter,” Xigbar summoned his arrowgun. “I nabbed you about a month ago and you’ve just been  _ so _ annoying. I’ve been through this at least forty times by now. I mean, how hard is it to believe that you’ve dreamt up this whole Recusant thing?”

“What?” Roxas scrambled up his bed, trying to get away from Xigbar.

“Anyway. Good night.”

_ Ouch. _


	10. Yikes, That Had To Hurt.

_ Ouch.  _

Roxas woke.

_ Ouch. _

Day after day.

_ Ouch. _

The same plain white walls.

_ Ouch. _

A never ending nightmare.

_ Ouch. _

Every time, Xigbar convinced him that The Recusants weren’t real.

_ Ouch. _

And every time, Roxas found a crack in his plan, only for it to be wiped away by the next arrow.

_ Ouch. _

They were little things. A missing coat. Out of place Snipers. A door off its hinges.

_ Ouch. _

Next time, he’ll remember.

_ Ouch. _

He just needs to avoid the bullet.

_ Ouch. _

Find a way out. 

_ Ouch. _

Find him.

_ Ouch. _

What was his name again?

_ Ouch. _

Fire. His name is fire.

_ Ouch. _

Who? Whose name is fire?

_ Ouch. _

What does a person have to do with fire?

_ Ouch. _

Nothing. He must have imagined it.

_ Ouch. _

Xigbar seems to know what he’s talking about.

_ Ouch. _

Maybe he should listen to him.

_ Ouch. _

He needs to listen.

_ Ouch. _

He needs to go. Xemnas wants to see him.


	11. Lea's Side

_ Three months earlier… _

“Aeleus. Did Roxas sound the alarm? Is everyone safe?” Axel rushed up to the statue of a man, hands shaking.

“Yes. Hollow Bastion is on lockdown.”

“Good.” He breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good. I’ll go check on Roxas, if that’s okay with you?”

“Of course. He’s in the prison block.” He moved to the side and Axel nearly leapt up the stairs.

“Roxas?” 

No reply.

“Roxas? Can you hear me? I’m coming down there!”

The alarm got louder as he approached the prison block.

The cell was empty.

“Oh, no.”

* * *

“I want a full search team in Radiant Garden and all surrounding worlds.. One of the most powerful members of the Organization is missing, as is Roxas.” The crowd gathered in the plaza gasped and murmured. Voices trampled over each other, trying to be heard.

“Did Xigbar take Roxas?”

“Is Roxas dead?”

“How do we know the Organization isn’t already back in the World That Never Was?”

“This is a trap!”

“Everyone, everyone.” Axel held up his hands and shook his head, trying to clear away the clutter. “Calm down. We don’t know the full extent of the situation. Ienzo is working on a way to get to the World That Never Was. I don’t know how long it will take, but we need to check the surrounding area first.”

“Why can’t we just take a Gummiship?” A rather loud man yelled over the crowd.

“The World That Never Was is blanketed in a specific type of darkness. It is only visible if the Organization wants it to be.”

“Well, how did you travel back and forth when you were in the Organization?” The same brash voice shouted.

“We used corridors of darkness.” A stir among the crowd. “However, this method is unavailable to us, since we have shed our coats and the powers of the dark. Aeleus will help you all divide into search parties. That is all.” Axel turned and went up the steps, leaving the chaos of the Recusants behind.

A voice spoke to him through the filtered air of the castle.

“You’re taking this remarkably well, Lea.” Rough. Condescending. Feral.

Axel whipped his head around, searching for the owner of the voice, but found nothing. 

“Who are you? What do you want?” He tried to sound brave, but the pressure was building up inside him. His chakrams involuntarily appeared in his hands.

“What’s the matter? Are you scared, Lea?” The voice spat out his name.

“Show yourself!” His head was on a swivel, constantly moving, checking his surroundings.

The temperature dropped at least ten degrees. Black sinews crawled around his feet and pulled him into the floor. He scrambled for purchase, feeling his feet freeze in the extreme cold. 

“I was supposed to get you back to the Castle immediately, but I think we’ll play a game first.”

The darkness swallowed him up, closing his airway and sealing his eyes shut.

“Why don’t we try some cards?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! I was working on other fics, but they didn't turn out the way I wanted them to. Anyway, enjoy and thanks for reading!


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